The present invention relates to a machine and method used to manufacture vehicle exhaust system components. More particularly, the present invention relates to a machine used to produce mating exhaust system components.
Exhaust processors are part of a vehicle exhaust system that, in general xe2x80x9ccleansxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cquietsxe2x80x9d exhaust gas produced by a vehicle engine before the exhaust gas is discharged from an engine system to the atmosphere. An exhaust processor typically includes an exhaust processor body and which close the ends of the exhaust processor body. The size of each exhaust processor body varies to fit a certain vehicle specification and thus an end cap must be able to fit on exhaust processor bodies of various sizes.
According to the present invention, a method of assembling end caps within a body is provided. The method includes the steps of providing a body and an end cap, measuring the body to obtain a body measurement, sizing the end cap based on the body measurement, and coupling the end cap to the body.
In addition, an end cap sizer is provided for sizing end caps to mate with a body. The end cap sizer includes a device that is movable between one position to receive one or both of an end cap and a body and another position to engage the end cap and body. The end cap sizer also includes a control system configured to move the device to a body measurement position to obtain a body measurement of the body and move the device to a position to size the end cap based on the body measurement.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of preferred embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived.